Tuesday 24 August 2010

(500) Films of Empire - Day 343

57 - La Dolce Vita - 3 stars
An odd one this. I saw this a couple of years ago and hated it. I found it long, dull and pretentious. However this time around I found myself identifying with aspects of the lead character's journey and therefore became more emotionally involved in the film.
Marcello Mastroianni plays a journalist who is stuck providing copy for the gossip columns. He finds himself stuck between two worlds. On the one hand he both loathes yet idolises the world he comments on, desperate to be a part of it yet sickened that he wants to be, and on the other hand bored of his mundane life with his clinging and neurotic girlfriend.
I guess I'm at that point in my life when I have to decide whether I am happy with my lot in life, or to make a play for something greater.
Despite working in a cinema, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood rarely gets as far North as Aberdeen but this year I have been to the Cannes Film Festival, Empire Movie-Con and met some of my heroes like Edgar Wright and professionals like Mark Kermode and the team at Empire magazine.
I have tasted this life and it tasted good.  I know now that I want a career in film journalism, to report and review the world that I love and respect.  I just need to find a way of making that happen.
Back to the film however and although I had greater empathy with the film this time round it did not mask the fact that it is far too long, many of the characters are unlikeable and it paints the picture of a world that we can never hope to be a part of.
This film is also very important in relevance to today's obsession with celebrity because it spawned the phrase Paparazzi. It's true you know. Marcello's right hand man and photographer is called Paparazzo and is one of a pack of photographers constantly hounding the rich and powerful for photos during the film.

Days remaining - 22 Films remaining - 23

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